Silas weight titus



' 2 Sheet&-Sheet S. W. TITUS.

(No Modal.)

TUBE WELL.

Patented Apr." 19, 1898.-

' ATTORNEY (NO Model.)

. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. S. TITUS.

TUBE WELL.

v HIS ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 19, 1898.

ne: Humus PEIERS m. mornumm WASHINGTON. ac.

lJNHED STATES PATENT mon.

SILAS XVRIGHT TITUS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE PNEUMATIC ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

TUBE-WELL.

SPECIFICATIN forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,547, dated April 19, 1898. Application filed July 31, 1897. Serial No. 646,581. (N modal.)

T0 aZZ who7n it may conccrn:

Be it known that I, SILAS WRIGHT TITUS, a citizen of the United States of America. and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of N ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tube-VVells, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction and development of tube or pipe wells after the said tube or pipe has been placed in position either by driving or boring or by any usual or well-known means; and my invention consists in means whereby gravel or other suitable pervious filtering material may be introduced into the space around the suction end of the tube and retained in such position. A permanent artificial filtering-bed in the water-bearing stratum around the suction-pipe is thus formed.

It is well known to those experienced in the art of well-sinking that water is frequently encountered in a stratum of such fine gravel or sand that the water Will not flow quickly enough to form a constant supply for the well. This is due of course to the imperviousness of the stratum and the necessarily-limited size of the strainer, also to the fact that the sand 'itself Wil1 pack hard against the strainerand tend to clog the same. In carrying out my invention I propose to replace a quantity of the fine gravel or sand With a corresponding quantity of coarse gravel or stone and to provide means for retaining the said coarse gravel or stone in its proper position around the strainer or suction foot-piece of the well-tube. By this means I form an artificial bed of pervious material of such extent that the water percolating into it on all sides will flow to the strainer and from thence may be forced up similarity in shape, I ter1n an umbrella. Such umbrella is adapted to be passed through the well-tube, before the gravel is introduced, in a closed condition and opened upon its reaching a point below the end of the said tube. The umbrella may consist of any suitable material that Will retain the filtering materialsuch, for instance, as a woven-link chain-and the'said filtering material being fed clown the tubeinto the said umbrella Will thereby be retained from displacement and dssemination.

My invention consists of certain f urther details of construction and operation, to be more clearly hereinafter set forth.

The object of rny invention is to utilize e00- nomically and commercially water-bearing strata of but slightly-pervious material and cause saine t0 yield in a well a constant and uniform flow of Water of sufficient volume for practical purposes.

I Will now proceecl to describe my invention more particularly With reference to the accompanying drawings, and then point out the novel features in claims.

Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a tube-well with inlet and outlets, air-pipes, valves, 850., of substantially the form patented tome August 18, 1896, and having in position the suction surrounded by an artificial filter-bed and an u mbrella inclosing and retaining same. Fig. 2 is a detail, on a larger scale, of the lower end of the tube-well, the suction, the filter-bed, and the umbrella, all in position for use. Fig. 3 is a detail, on sauce scale as Fig. 2, showing the method of inserting the umbrella. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view, partly in section, of the lower end of the expansible shield.

.frame.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

10 designates the well-tube; 11, the discharge-tube; 12, the air-pipe, and 13 the valverod. 12 is the compressed-air inlet; 11, the discharge-outlet.

The form of well I have shown is of the form patented to me August 18, 1896, No. 566,102; but I do not intend to be limited to this form of well in connection with this my present application, as .same is applicable to wells of other description.

14 14 designate non-water-bearing strata superposed upon a water-bearing stratum 15. The stratum 15 is supposed to consist of very fine gravel or wet sand. The tube 10 is bored or driven in any suitable manner through the strata 14 14 until the stratum 15 is reached. The discharge-tube 11, whieh has fitted to it the air-pipe 12 and its appartenances, and also the suction or strainer footpiece 16, as is usual, would ordinarily now be inserted. Before such insertion, however, a collapsible umbrella or shield is attaehed in such a manner that it may be inserted therewith.

17 designates the collapsible shield or nmbrella in its entirety.

18 is a collar rigidly secured to an extension 19 of the air-pipe 12. Such extension passes through the end of the strainer, Which may be provided with a stuffing-box 20.

21 21 are a series of ribs pivotally connected to the collar 18 at their lower ends, and at their upper ends connected by links 22 22 to a collar 23. The collar 23 is suitably attached to the end of the discharge-pipe, as shown, and is preferably made in two halves.

As more clearly shown in Fig. 4, the un1- brella is provided With eight ribs. There may of course be more or less. These ribs are arranged in fours, the end ribs of each series being close together, and each series is attached by the links 22 t0 one-half of the (301- lar 23. These links may be flexible or rigid, as desired. The umbrella is covered with some suitable material 2l, such as wovenlink chain, the said covering being made in two parts, each part being secured to one series of ribs. The end ribs coming together makes this in effect one continuous covering. The two halves of the collar are secured together by pins 25 25, to which may be attached a wire passingup between the discharge-tube and the well-tube to the mouth thereof.

Fig. 3 shows the umbrella collapsed and being inserted into position through the welltube. The ribs are arranged With their covering to close around the strainer in such a way that the whole appliance may readily be passed through same, as shown.

If the links 22 22 be made of rigid material, the air-pipe 12 must be adjusted relatively lower with respect to the discharge pipe, which Will permit of the straightening or closing of the ribs for the insertion of the same, and the readjustment afterward Will cause the umbrella to open out, as shown in Fig. 2. Should, however, the links be of flexible material, this opening and closing can be effected without any adjustment of the air-pipe relatively to the discharge-tube. Vhen the umbrella has been duly inserted into place, the same may be partially opened by working same up and clown for a short space. This Willalsoloosenthesandaroundsame. Water Will now be introduced into the annular space between the discharge-pipe and the well-tube through the pipe 26. This water Will wash out the sand around and within the strainer and the same Will be raised in the dischargepipe, together With some Water from the water-bearing stratu m 15, by compressed air introduced down the air-pipe 12 and discharged through the discharge outlet l1. Coarse gravel or broken stone Will now be introduced into the annular space between the discharge-pipe and the well-tube, a funnel 27 at the top of the well-tube being provided for this purpose. The gravel Will pass down With the water from the inlet 26 and fill the space within the umbrella not occupied by the strainer. The pressure of the gravel Will tend to open the umbrella more and more, this being assisted, if necessary, by working the umbrella, as before described, or by adjusting the air-pipe relatively to the dischargetube. This operation is continued until the urnbrella is entirely open and the space therein filled with coarse gravel. A permanent artifieial filter-bed has thus been provided around the strainer or suction end of the well With no possibility of unintentional displaeement of same.

Should it be desired at any time to withdraw the umbrella or shield, the pins 25 25 may be removed by pulling upon the wire connected thereto and which passes to the mouth of the well. This will cause-the collar 23 to come in halves, and upon pulling up the air-pipe the umbrella may be turned inside out and removed in this way.

I have alluded to the shield 17 throughout this specification as an umbrella from the similarity in shape, as here shown, to this article; but I do not intend to confine myself to this particular shape or even the hereindescribed construction. By the term nmbrella I wish to include any shield or inclosure which is capable of being closed into such shape that it can be passed down inside the welltube and which when desired can be opened out for the purpose of holding and retaining an artificial filter bed inserted therein.

What I claim is- 1. The improvem&ant in the art of constructing tube-wells, whieh consists essentially in sinking a well-tube until the lower end thereof reaches a water-bearing stratum, then passin g down through the tube a collapsible expansible shield, and finally expanding and filling said shield with gravel or other permeable material in substitution of the sand or fine material entering the shield from the waterbearing stratum, substantially as set forth.

IOO

2. The improvement in the art ofconstruct- 3. The combination in a tube-weil of an artifieial filter-bed at the foot of said well, and a eollapsible shield or umbrelia, surrounding said artificial filter-bed substantially as specified.

4. A oollapsibie shield or umbreila adapted to be inserted through a well-tube to the foot thereof, the said shield being adapted to be opened when in position, and spaoe inolosed thereby tobe filled Wit-h gravel or coarse material constituting an artificial bed, substantial1y as speeified.

5. A collapsible shield or umbrella adapted to be inserted through a well-tube to the foot thereof, the said shield being adapted 130 be opened when in position, and space inelosed thereby to be filled With gravel or coarse material oonstituting an artificial bed, and means whereby said shield may be emptied and withdrawn through the well-tube substantially as specified.

6. The eombination in a tubular well of a weiltube, an interior tube, a co1lar carried by the interior tube at its 1ower end, a series of ribs pivoted to said oollar, a flexible pervious covering carried by the rib s, the said ribs and pervious covering being adapted to close up for the purpose of insertion through the welltube, and to open When at the foot of the we11 substantiaily as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination in a tubular well of a well-tube, an interior discharge-tnbe, an airtube Within said discharge-tube, a collar attaohed to said air-tube, a series of ribs pivoted to said co11ar, a flexible pervious covering earried by the ribs, a collar carried by said diseharge-tubes, and links pivoted to said c01- 1ar and said ribs, whereby a longitudinal movement of the discharge-tube relatively to the air-tube Wili cause the ribs to open or close, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I daim the foregoingas my invention I have signed my name, in presence of tWo witnesses, this 26th day of J uly, 1897.

SILAS WRIGHT TITUS.

Witnesses:

D. IIOWARD IIAYWOOD, FREDERICK M. HITCHCOCK. 

